Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-01-05

Well, here's "a bunch, thou. didn't
know but what y on mightn't like 'em; some
folks don't. reckon It's 'most too strong
drink OF spring, IL can tut il that. way,
TO some. lean stan IT,"
When he handed her tho enormous noso-
gay he had cut for her, he looked at her
uncovered head. "Ain't YOU afraid OF get
tin burnt. without your bonnetf asked he.
She gave her sun-bonnet spiteful little
ling. II hate itW cried she, with sudden
nerve. Mother makes me wear IL, but
pull IL OF the minute I get out of sight.
want a hat like the other girls. SOP
Il thought the bonnet was real pretty"
said Silas, sympathlZingly. I'D wear II,
II was you. You're so light-sknned you'll
burn real easy. Your something the color
OF them apple blow, over there now it
would he pity III you got brown
IL don't care IL / do Thank you for the
flowers" she added, little more softly, as
! she went out the gate.
Silas stared after her. "She changes
round 50 quick - said he las il she was IN
| q gust OF wind First her head a-dropping
down, an then she goes to dancing. She,s
got the prettiest faco l ever saw. She
prettier than mother was. declare
| might count her with them flowers was
countin' over when she came She might
come In after the datfodils.n
When he went into tho house and busted
himself about cooking his dinner, he did
say the string of flowers over several times
fancy seemed TO please him. lie lived alone
now he had always had his mother with
him up TO tho last two years. Now she was
dead His father had died years before,
when Silas wesa young boy. He had been
a Woodworking, penurious man, and had
amassed in his lifetime what the townsfolk
considered quite property. He owned his
house and land clear, and had besides, a
little sum in the bank.
In his lifetime Silas and his mother, who
was meek, sickly woman, had been pitt
fully pinched. After his death, when the
restrictive clause had ceased they found 1t
difficult To rid themselves of the habit OF
being so. Many time Mrs. Ninton would
look scared when some extra expenditure
came in question, and say: 20, Silas,
what would your father say The old
mans iron, grinding will still lived on in
his house after he was dead
Still they made some innovations. Silas
took the larger part OF the garden for
flowers and cramped the vegetables into
smaller space. Silas aud his mother had
not been allowed room for one little flower
bed before. After his mothers death Silas
went further. He would not sell his vege-
tables, but gave them away to any one of
the neighbors who wanted them. He took
the greatest delight in 1t. The sale OF vege.
tables had always been quite an item to
them, but he never thought OF missing the
money. he was naturally generous, and
giving was what singing would have been
to him had he been musical. In apple and
cherry time, too, the children swarmed
about his place. They we're very fond of
Silas and visited him a great deal at all
seasons, He seldom had any other visitors
Silas had never seemed like other young
men, whether IL was owing TO his, having
been with his mother SO much or his own
natural disposition He never had any
nobody ever dreamed of his getting mar
ried. People called him little simple.
They were simple country folk themselves.
He was probably no simpler than they,
only his simplicity took such n different
direction that they recognized il as such
older, and especially after his mothers
death, when all direct human interest was
gone, the love Of them turned his whole
self. lie was natural enough TO grasp after
some absorbing interest and his gentle
taste seemed TO point that way the easiest:
and he might have turned a worse way,
though il might have been nobler one,
than into beds of lilies ana thickets of
roses He was so fond of his dainty pur-
suit that il was only very dimly that he felt
the need of any thing else. He ruminated
so heartily and long over his flowers that it
might have been with him as with Marvel's
farm. "Lillies without, roses within" His
very thoughts might havo been tinctured,
no thought principally Of his flowers, and
his brain was full of true images of roses
anu lllleS anu upple DlOSSOnS.
But now he began TO think Of Althea.
After she came for tho parsnips sbo slid In
to his mind along with the flowers contin-
ually. He hoped every day her mother
would send her again on some errand, but
she did not. Silas, without knowing that
he did SO, watched and waited every day
for her. Finally, after week or SO, it oc-
CURED to him that Altheas mother might
like more parsnips. So he carried her u great
basketful. After he had gone he would not
come into the house, butlingered moment
In the yard looking wishfully al Althea, who
stood In the door behind her mother. Mrs.
Rose eyed her daughter knowingly and
sharply.
parsnips,n said she.
Althea looked up at her, frightened. She
still stood few PAGES behind her mother:
street together, Althea followed after her
always. When her mother attempted TO
face her, Althea always stirred softly
round behind her.
He came to see you said her neither,
turning round again. Althea turned too,
and looked more scared than before and
made some unintelligible dissent.
YES, he did" said her mother; don't
you contradict me, Althea"
IL was easy enough, after seeing Mrs.
her peculinrities. The mother had nodded
the daughter after her own model US
exactly as she could, and more exactly
than she was herself aware. Mrs. Rose
must have looked very like Althea in her
youth. She wore her light partly gray
hair cut squarely around her ears, just like
Althea's; her dress had the same prim,
uncompromising cut. She was arbitrary
and full of a self-confidence that was abSo.
lutte power aud SO was Althea. All was
the girl had not yet shown her disposition;
her mother, by her older, stronger will and
force OF habit az yet kept her down. She
only rebelled furtively. The stern rule she
had always been under gave her shy,
almost cowed, demeanor once in n while
the spirit in her gave n flash, as IL were,
they had no relatives. They had small
pension to live on and owned n small house
besides. Mrs. Roses husband died in
the army. They never called on the neigh
bors, and the neighbors never called OF
them. Queer folks" they called them.
Mrs. Roses opinion seemed fortified when
Silas came the next Sunday night and
made a call He went TO evening meeting
first. and then walked down the shadowy
road toward the Roso house. The Roses
were not meeting folks, and he could not
walk home with Althea, and so break the
ice. However, Silas was not bashful. 1t
is doubtful IL he realized he was going
counting at oil. He had great bunch OF
flowers In his hand, and he was merely
going to carry them to Althea; he did not
look InuC0 DeyOnu tudt. us nOTlZOu, due
and sunny though il was, came close around
him always. So he sat in Mrs, Roses sit
ting-room that evening and eyed Althea
sweetly and kindly, but was not perturbed,
though he said very little.
Hes comm after you, Althca," said
her mother, after he had gone.
Althea, Sinking behind her mother,
burst into tears.
What arc you crying forf asked her
mother, sharply.
"I-don't want him to-
Get your candle and 60 to bedn
Silas came regularly every Sunday oven
ing after that, but he met with an obstacle
in his wooing which might have nonplussed
some lovers-the mother always staid in
the room when he called. There she would
sit, straight and fercely watchful, her
bushy short bair curving round her ears.
However, Silas was not annoyed. The
need of n formal declaration never suy
gested itself to him; he supposed Althea
knew, and there was no necd OF saying
much nbout IL anyway. u would have
puzzled any one to have told Althea's
opinion when Silas' attentions became
eiQtQ oh ell nd lint